Jake Dolegala is a big name that NFL teams are keeping an eye on. At 6'6”, it's hard to miss him. The St. Francis grad has had private meetings with six teams, and worked out at two pro days.
“They're impressed with my arm strength. They think I'm a tall, strong kid who's smart as well,” said Dolegala.
“He's quick on his feet. He's a really good athlete at that size: he can jump, he can run, he can move, he's got tremendous arm strength. He's got a lot of upside about him.”
A shoulder injury forced Dolegala to spend a year at prep school before becoming the starting quarterback at Central Connecticut State — a school that has produced one person that played in the NFL, and none since Dolegala was born.
“The talent I played is not like some of these big-time schools, like Division I-A schools. My competition I've been playing might not be the caliber that some of these coaches want to see. That's the only knock they have on me."
For four months, Dolegala has ironed out some of his other weaknesses, hoping he can surprise as a late-round pick, or sign as an undrafted free agent.
“My footwork can always be cleaned up. You can always quicken that up, and where the ball travels. I was taught to have some lower trajectories on those throws, so learning some touch, and where the ball travels. It has to have some arc to it sometimes,” said Dolegala.
Ben Woods has trained Dolegala since he graduated high school. He works out with 10 to 20 professional athletes, including former Bill Naaman Roosevelt. Woods has helped Dolegala pack on muscle to withstand punishment from NFL pass-rushers.
“Part of the reason you want a good base of strength is to bulletproof yourself for withstanding some of the hits you're going to take on the field. The other part of it is to allow him to elevate his performance. He'll be able to move quicker in the pocket, to be able to scramble for that first down if he has to.”
Add up all the factors, and Dolegala says he's worth a shot.
“I think I'm a great leader. I'm a great competitor. I hate to lose. Nobody's going to work harder than me,” said Dolegala.
“I think he's going to surprise a lot of people not only at the draft, but at camp coming up this fall.”
The NFL draft starts next Thursday. If Dolegala impresses a few teams, he expects that weekend to be a busy one.